League: Kiwis tour a 'great release' for Shaun Kenny-Dowall

Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Photo / Getty

Shaun Kenny-Dowall doesn't know what the future holds. He doesn't know if he will play in the NRL next year, nor what the ramifications of his upcoming court case might be.

But right now, he says, he is in his "happy place".

Yesterday afternoon in a back room of a London hotel, Kenny-Dowall gave a media interview.

It was the first time he had spoken since he was charged with a variety of domestic violence offences against his former partner Jessica Peris in July, after which he spent several weeks in hospital, admitted for stress-related mental illnesses, before returning to play for the Roosters in the finals series then being selected for the Kiwis.

The charges relate to incidents that allegedly occurred between October 2014 and June this year, with the couple splitting in July. Many were surprised he is even on this tour, but the 27-year-old had no hesitation.

"A lot of other people probably had more doubt than I ever did...I wanted to go and it is a special chance," said Kenny-Dowall. "Representing your country is an honour and something you should never turn down."

But no one would have been surprised if he did, nor blamed the New Zealand Rugby League if he was not considered. These were quite exceptional circumstances. Charges of domestic violence, including common assault and stalking or intimidation (all of which he has pleaded not guilty to), plus an interim apprehended violence order taken out against him by Peris.

But he is grateful to be on tour, to get away from the "dramas" in Sydney and be out on the field.

"It's been a great release for me...being able to let my hair down and get away from all that off field stuff and do what I love," said Kenny Dowall. "It was a long few weeks being away [from the game] and you sort of watch it...that's my happy place out on the field and it made me realise that I cherish playing rugby league so much."

But what happens after this tour, when he returns to Sydney for another court appearance?

"Obviously I still have a process I need to go through in terms of the off field dramas but I just need to take it one day at a time and do what I have to do each day," he says.

But what about his future, what about being able to play for the Roosters?

"I'm not 100 per cent sure," said Kenny-Dowall. "My mentality is to take each block as it comes. I got out of hospital, had the finals to concentrate on with the Roosters, then the Kiwis and after that I'll have to deal with all that off field stuff."

However the next few months unfold, Kenny-Dowall says his time in hospital made him assess his priorities in life.

"I was fortunate enough to have my family there supporting me the whole way," said Kenny-Dowall. "We all came to agree that was the best place for me at the time...I was pretty glad that I went there. "

His Sydney-based parents were a constant and his two sisters flew over from New Zealand for extended spells.

"I had them around me and that is one thing I did learn...how important family is around you at the time," said Kenny-Dowall. "To see the depths that they went to make sure I was alright was amazing and something I'll never forget. There is a lot more to life than rugby league and your family will always be there no matter what."

Over the next few days Kenny-Dowall will be solely focused on helping the Kiwis level the series, after their 26-12 reverse in Hull last week. Kenny-Dowall is one of the more experienced members of the squad - only Adam Blair has had a longer career - and says the recipe for redemption on Saturday (Sunday NZT) is quite simple.

"[England] came down the middle of the field last week," said Kenny-Dowall. "We need to get our defence a lot better, win our first two tackles and keep them down their end. [Last week] they got a lot of field position [and] made easy metres through the middle of the field."

- By Michael Burgess in London